Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Abrogation

A world gone mad when light is darkwhen dark is renamed light,and aching hearts weep bitterlyfor their lost ones in the night.Their cries reach up to Heaven's gate,Never out of sightWhile those in power twiddle.

When the weak and the bitter ruleAnd nothing new is doneExcept to keep on plowing throughThe same old futile run,Aching hearts weep bitterlyAs injustice is all that is doneWhile those in power twiddle.

Good is called bad these daysOut of some weird sense of fair,And evil demands we tolerate,With an angry, bitter stare,Madonna weeps in church and shrine,Though others seem not to care,While those in power twiddle.

The world goes mad with Cain's old sin,Brother against brother,God watches as we use his nameTo hammer one another,The time to reap the whirlwind nearsFor the tears hate cannot smotherWhile those in power twiddle.

Have Mercy

Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,who emptied yourself out to become our Emmanuel,who walked our dust,felt our pain,have mercy on us.Forgive us of our rage.

Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of Mary,Who walked this earth,suffered the hurts that life thrusts upon us,the slings of undeserved wrongs,have mercy on us.Forgive us our desire to hurt as we are hurt.

Susan E. Stone, 2007

Jesus Christ, who wept tears of blood in the garden of olives,wrapped in the shadows of night,the shadows of others' sin,grieving under the weight of what evil man can do,grieving under the weight of doing the Father's will,have mercy on us.Forgive us our desire to do as we would do, no matter the cost.

Jesus Christ, who bore stripes that we might be healed,mocked and crowned with thornsas an amusement for the hard men who kept you captiveForgive us our coldheartedness at the sight of our brother in need.Have mercy on us.

Jesus Christ, who was accused unjustly before the High Priest,condemned in an unfair trial,turned over to those who would kill you as a pawn,Forgive us our eager willingness to be unjust, unmerciful.Have mercy on us.

Jesus Christ, executed for no wrongs of your own,but who died willingly to save us all,the lost sheep of your flock,Forgive us our ungratitude.Have mercy on us.

O Lord, in the midnight, whisper to our heartsthe truth of a love like no other,may the scales fall from our eyes,and bring us to true contrition,knowledge of what we are,what we are worth,and what you would have us to be,and may we, in response learn to lovein mercy, gentleness and humilitythis day and always, Amen.